Category: Quotes

Another maxim pulled from the 2015 Stoic Week Handbook, this quote is associated with Epictetus and I find it serves two purposes for me. It reminds me of the natural inevitability of death, which helps me not fear it. It also reminds me to make the best use of the life I have by living it purposefully.

Epictetus reminds us that, like most things of virtue, good can only come from within. I take this to mean if we rely on the actions of others to bring “good” into our lives than we may be disappointed; we are not in control of their thoughts or actions.

Stoic Week 2015 Day 7. Nature. For this seventh and final day of Stoic Week 2015 the theme is Nature. I find this topic the most open to interpretation within Stoicism; it’s a fairly vague term that means different things to different people. I have grown to accept it to mean everything. Nature is the universe, God, gods, keep reading…

Stoic Week 2015 Day 6. Resilience. From Marcus we get some more wisdom to strive for. Easier said than done, as I find most Stoic maxims, but I interpret “be cheerful under all circumstances including illness” to not just be about putting on a brave face, but genuinely accepting that so much that happens in life is up keep reading…

Stoic Week 2015 Day 5. Relationships. Another nugget from Epictetus; succinctly stating that others act based on their perception of what is right and wrong, and that may differ from ours. This is a nice maxim to consider when you feel annoyed, irritated or angry at others for something they’ve done. We should remind ourselves that when we are “wronged” keep reading…

Stoic Week 2015 Day 4. Virtue. In Epictetus’ quote for today’s theme of virtue, I chose to highlight this particular excerpt because it’s important to remember that the small positive actions we take daily are significant. They keep us moving forward, and though resisting eating my kids’ Halloween candy isn’t worthy of awards or praise, it is still keep reading…

Stoic Week 2015 Day 3. Mindfulness. We often say or think things like “I just need to get away.” Marcus Aurelius advises that there is no need to physically go away when we have the capacity to retreat into our own minds. The caveat here is to have a healthy mind within which to retreat. Don’t dwell keep reading…

Stoic Week 2015 Day 2. Today’s theme is control. The quote is a shortened excerpt from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, in which he discusses framing your mind as you wake. We are humans, born to do human things; so instead of laying in bed, cuddled up—especially on chilly Fall mornings like here in Halifax, NS—consider that you keep reading…

Stoic Week 2015 Day 1. Life. I found one of the short quotes of Epictetus provided in the handbook to carry a lot of power. Endure and renounce. I take this to mean, have the courage to bear anything that is good and the self discipline to avoid or decline anything that is bad. Share your thoughts on this keep reading…